Chouf Fishermen Need Their Livelihoods Secured

LEBANON - Fishermen in the Chouf region are complaining about the poor management of the fishing sector and have called on officials to implement measures aimed at stopping over-fishing of rivers. Trout, a fish that lives in cold fresh water, is the most common catch of fishers in the Chouf region.

But, according to The Daily Star, local fishermen say that compared to previous years, fish farming is declining as a result of neglect.

They say that one reason for the decline in fish populations is a lack of seed sprinkling by farmers. Other factors include water scarcity as a result of climate change, and the use of environmentally detrimental fishing methods by professional and leisure fishermen.

Together, these factors have led to the extinction of some fish species, and have been particularly harmful to younger fish that have not yet bred, the fishermen say.

Abu Ramzi, like all fishermen in the Chouf, has waited impatiently for the summer fishing season.

"We fish approximately two days per week in the Al-Awali River that starts in Barouk and ends in the sea, passing through some villages," he told the Daily Star.